camaraerie
by no cure for crazy
Summary: "You've always been there for me when no one else was, let me be here for you now."
AN: Because I refuse to believe that shit show of an episode that aired on arrow, this happened. As you can see I'm pretty much in denial over the whole thing and I'm still strong salty about it and I don't think I'll ever get over it. So this is something that I believe _should_ have happened. It's mostly speedy canary, but I had to throw in a little blackvibe because reasons. And I'm so upset that Cisco probably isn't going to be at the funeral because arrow sucks.

* * *

 _Camaraderie: (n) mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together._

* * *

Her eyes slowly open, revealing the white walls of the hospital she realizes she's in. Everything's a little fuzzy but she gradually begins to remember why she's laying in a bed in the hospital. The prison, the fight, the idol, Darkh, getting stabbed, the darkness from when she passed out.

"Hey, you're awake," a voice says, drawing her attention to the chair that's settled next to her hospital bed.

"Hey yourself," Laurel replies when her gaze lands on Thea, curled up on the chair with her feet tucked under her, looking like she's been here for hours.

"How long have you been here?" Laurel asks, her voice croaking for lack of use.

Thea leans forward to grab the pitcher of water on the nearby table to pour some into the small plastic cup before handling it to Laurel. "Since you went into surgery….so a while."

Laurel takes a sip of the water, letting the cool liquid sooth her throat and hands it back to Thea who places it back on the table. "Where's my dad?"

"He's on his way," Thea tells her. "John called him on our way here."

"How are you?" Laurel asks, after a moment.

"I should be asking you that question," Thea tosses back, pulling one of her legs to her chest and wrapping a hand around her knee. "You are the one who just got stabbed and almost died from blood loss."

"But you are the one who almost lost someone else," Laurel tells her as gently as she can.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Thea says, reaching out her other hand to touch Laurel's wrist.

"I'm not going away that easily," Laurel responds, a smile forming on her face.

Laurel knows that her recovering might not be the easiest, but if she can beat an addiction, she can recover from blood loss and an extensive surgery. Especially knowing the support system she has.

* * *

Laurel ends up staying in the hospital for a couple of days with a rotation of cops standing outside her hospital room at her dad's insistence despite Laurel's efforts to tell him that it wouldn't do any again against Darkh – who now has his magic back. And of course the Green Arrow, Spartan and Speedy have made a few appearances outside the hospital. Just in case.

It's just after the second day in the hospital the she starts getting bored of being bed ridden and under observation. She just wants nothing more than to be out of this damn bed. Though she still knows it's going to be a while before she can put that suit back on and get back out, patrolling the streets. And just as long before she can go back to work.

The team taking turns visiting her is the only thing that keeps her sane. Thea's always there the longest, staying until the nurses kick her out when visiting hours are over. John and Felicity drop by when they can – same with Oliver. And then there's her dad, who just sits by her bedside and Laurel knows he's thankful he didn't lost one of his daughter's for the third time.

There was even one time where Donna stopped by to see how she was doing. It took a little bit of coaxing on Laurel's part to convince the woman the she was fine and that Donna and her father didn't have to worry that much.

Though, the thing that surprised her most was when Cisco dropped by.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, the second he stepped through the doorway.

"Of course I had to come see you when I heard the news," Cisco says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I hopped on a train the first chance I could….so how's my favorite canary?"

"I've been better," Laurel says with a small smile. "You sure Barry can spare you?"

Cisco waves her off. "Team Flash will be fine without me for a day….well hopefully."

Laurel lets out a laugh and just lets Cisco talk through the majority of the visit. Laurel gets an update of everything going on in central city and learns that Cisco's been working on some updates for the canary cry.

That is something Laurel can't wait to get her hands out when she feels better.

* * *

"You know you don't have to do this," Laurel tells Thea as the younger woman helps her get dressed after she's discharged.

"You were there for me when we were sure the bloodlust was going to kill me," Thea explains, as she helps Laurel into a shirt. "So this is just me returning the favor….You've always been there for me when no one else was, let me be here for you now."

Laurel smiles. "Well you do have a point."

"Besides, we're a team," Thea adds, picking up the pair of Laurel's converse that Thea grabbed on her way out of the apartment.

Laurel settles on the edge of the mattress and slides her feet into the shoes when Thea places them on the floor.

"It's just time you let someone be there for you," Thea tells her as she ties the shoe's strings. "You do _so_ much for everyone, whether it's in the court room or in the streets or for the team, for me…it's just nice, to be able to repay that."

"I'm just glad we have each other," Laurel tells her, sliding from the bed and reaching for the jacket Thea brought.

"Me too," Thea responds, helping Laurel slide her arms into the sleeves. "Now let's get you out of here and get you some real food."

"And a milkshake?" Laurel questions, lopping her arm with Thea's as they exist the hospital room.

"And fries to go with it."

* * *

"You should be resting," Thea says, walking out of the shadows and into the glow the moon is casting over Laurel's living room.

"I couldn't sleep," Laurel admits, pushing away from the window and turning to face the younger woman. "Not with everything that's happened."

"Darkh isn't going to get away with this," Thea tells her.

"Except he is," Laurel responds, with a sigh. "We've tried taking him down legally and even that blow up in our faces….he managed to get the idol back because of Malcolm, and now he knows who we are…."

Thea runs a hand through her hair, knowing that Laurel's right even if she doesn't really want to admit it. After a moment, she closes the distance between her and Laurel until she's standing next to her. "Darkh isn't going to stop until he's killed us all."

"Or just me," Laurel says, glancing back towards the window.

Thea places a hand on Laurel's shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. There's a part of Thea that knows that words aren't going to do anything, they're not going to change the fact that Darkh is out there and he's powerful again despite all their efforts to destroy that damn idol.

All Thea can do is just be there, making the same silent promise to Laurel that Laurel made to her almost a year prior. That she's here.

Laurel knows it's not going to be easy, taking Darkh down again, especially if he's working with Malcolm and knowing that they can't just steal the idol as easily as they did last time. But deep down, Laurel knows that somehow they're going to do it because they don't give up. They won't give up.

But for right now, she won't worry about that.

Laurel glances at Thea, an idea already forming in her head. "How about we pull that ice cream over of the freezer and watch some movies?"

Thea smiles. "I think that's the perfect idea."


End file.
